Bringing Back Porter

The assistant I spoke with this morning told me that all in-person recruiting, including official and unofficial campus visits, are banned until at least April 15th.

Written correspondence and phone calls are permitted.

Also, he was told that the NCAA is currently NOT looking at granting an extra year of eligibility to basketball playing student-athletes.

DoubleDipper wrote:Also, he was told that the NCAA is currently NOT looking at granting an extra year of eligibility to basketball playing student-athletes.

I don't know why they would. Regular seasons were all complete. The majority of BB student-athletes completed their seasons. About 20% would of played in the NCAA championship tournament. Most of those will have more eligibility. Playing in any other tourney (NIT, CBI, etc.) is simply exhibition games.

Too Late for Pilot Fans-

Talk on the Providence board is that Rick Pitino is already locked in to the Iona job. They were contact as soon as Cluess resigned from Iona.

UP fans will see in two years what Pitino did for Iona. Would love to see UP schedule Iona for next year.

up7587 wrote:This web site rates Coach Porter as "not in danger yet".

https://www.coachesdatabase.com/hot-seat-report/

*cough*

Info could be a bit old. Here’s what it says about another coach:

• Richard Pitino (Minnesota) (**UPDATE 3/13: Pitino is expected to return in 2020-21)
  
  
  
  • Pitino took the Gophers to the NCAA Tournament last year but this year, he lands right back on the Hot Seat Report via another underwhelming campaign. Pitino is under contract through 2024, but buyout this year would only $2 million (and it drops to $1.75M next season). His tenure has been mediocre since winning the NIT in his first season, but whenever the heat is on the Gophers have a ‘good enough’ season to save his job. The Gophers do have the toughest schedule in the country (per KenPom), but they are just 2-6 against ranked teams.
    
  
  
  

The difference is Rick Pitino's son Richard's overall record at Minnesota has been 126-108.

Dean Murdoch wrote:

@CBB_Central wrote: Iona, UIC, and Grand Canyon all have opened in the last 24 hours. Rick Pitino has been mentioned at two of them. All three are good mid-major jobs. It’s officially coaching search SZN!

Sources ( ) are telling me SMC's Randy Bennett is in negotiations with the folks at Grand Canyon.

Plenty of money available to invest in the program, Randy is from the Phoenix area, and the facilities at GCU are some of the best in the west.

I guess we'll see...

DoubleDipper wrote:

Dean Murdoch wrote:

@CBB_Central wrote: Iona, UIC, and Grand Canyon all have opened in the last 24 hours. Rick Pitino has been mentioned at two of them. All three are good mid-major jobs. It’s officially coaching search SZN!

Sources ( ) are telling me SMC's Randy Bennett is in negotiations with the folks at Grand Canyon.

Plenty of money available to invest in the program, Randy is from the Phoenix area, and the facilities at GCU are some of the best in the west.

I guess we'll see...

Tired of beating his head against the GU wall? The competition would certainly be less challenging in the WAC. KenPom top WAC team was New Mexico St. at #91. Every other WAC team was 200+.

JimmAlacki wrote:Too Late for Pilot Fans-

Talk on the Providence board is that Rick Pitino is already locked in to the Iona job. They were contact as soon as Cluess resigned from Iona.

UP fans will see in two years what Pitino did for Iona. Would love to see UP schedule Iona for next year.  

I can assure you Pitino would not have passed the smell test with UP's HR department, and that's not even including the hookers and sneakers.  

Word is one of Iona's biggest boosters/donors owns racehorses with Pitino...now that doesn't sound surprising.

Article about NCAAM coaching changes.
https://watchstadium.com/college-basketball-coaching-carousel-cheat-sheet-for-2020-02-27-2020/

In the Mid- and Low-Major Guys Likely Out the Door category:

2) Terry Porter, Portland | It’s been a tough go for the former NBA star in the college coaching ranks. Portland is probably the worst job in the WCC, and Porter hasn’t really gained any momentum. He was 28-69 overall entering this season and finished 9-23 overall and 1-15 in league play this year.

What are the factors that make it "worst job"? Facilities better than some others. Tradition/history is bad. Location for recruiting? Pay for coaches? Academic requirements can't be any tougher than USF, SCU, etc. Too many other options for fans? Sure, GU is the only game in Spokane, but SMC, USF, SCU, LMU, PU, USD have plenty of alternative entertainment attractions. Has smallest enrollment in WCC, and smallest endowment. Presumably smallest alumni base. What else?

up7587 wrote:Tired of beating his head against the GU wall?  The competition would certainly be less challenging in the WAC.  KenPom top WAC team was New Mexico St. at #91. Every other WAC team was 200+.  

In addition to Bennett going to GCU, I've heard Damon Stoudamire's name mentioned as a possibility for the position as well, mostly because he played a Arizona, but also because his stock rose this year at UOP and he was named the WCC COY.

Stoudamire could certainly move somewhere, but Bennett's move to Phoenix seems much more plausible.

DoubleDipper wrote:Stoudamire could certainly move somewhere, but Bennett's move to Phoenix seems much more plausible.

Both guys lose their best player, Ford at SMC and Tripp at UOP.

up7587 wrote: What else?

Well considering GU is now in a category all by itself when it comes to recruiting and money, and BYU is an outlier, all the others schools are located in some pretty nice places in California, well, maybe Stockton is an exception , and kids from all over are attracted to California, and have been for 175 years.

When some of us were pushing for Kyle Smith to move from Columbia to UP before Porter was hired (he eventually went to USF and now WSU), his agent called UP one of the worst coaching jobs too, and I think it was because of a lack of a winning tradition/mentality and a lack of outside money.  

The traditions at all the California schools (I was raised there) go far beyond that of UP in the minds of most (oh, you guys are located on the Park Blocks, right?), and California and California schools just get more publicity and are in more conversations.

I was playing golf in Southern California with a gentleman from UCLA just after UP had beaten the Bruins by 27 points in 2009, and he was convinced UP was an NAIA school because he'd never heard of them, but he had heard of UO, OSU, and PSU.

A big factor in making a change is, who is available.

https://www.msn.com/sports/ncaabk/coronavirus-cancellations-halt-college-basketball-coaching-carousel

I don't want to hire someone who is available for to getting fired from somewhere else. Anyone we should consider is going to be available for other reasons, such as wanting to move up from being an assistant, a lower conference or division or maybe wanting to live in Portland rather than their current location.

up7587 wrote:A big factor in making a change is, who is available.

https://www.msn.com/sports/ncaabk/coronavirus-cancellations-halt-college-basketball-coaching-carousel

Good article. Since it was posted.... UIC fired Steve McClain, Iona hired Rick Pitino, Samford fired Scott Padgett, and just this morning GCU hired Bryce Drew.

So things are moving, just slowly. Will there be a change in Pilot land?

Dean Murdoch wrote:Good article. Since it was posted.... UIC fired Steve McClain, Iona hired Rick Pitino, Samford fired Scott Padgett, and just this morning GCU hired Bryce Drew.

So things are moving, just slowly. Will there be a change in Pilot land?

With the hiring of Drew at Grand Canyon, I guess the annual Randy Bennett watch is over for another year.

All indications are Bennett talked to GCU, but the Antelopes liked the way Drew developed mid-major Valpo into a Tournament team and actually did okay at Vandy before being fired and then working in broadcasting this past season.

As for the Pilots, I guess the entire staff was in their offices yesterday, but that's the only news I have.

Speaking of GCU:

cbssports.com wrote:Dan Majerle won 20-plus games four seasons in a row before he was dismissed following a 13-17 campaign.

Hmm.

up7587 wrote:Speaking of GCU:

cbssports.com wrote:Dan Majerle won 20-plus games four seasons in a row before he was dismissed following a 13-17 campaign.

Hmm.

Don't get any crazy ideas, UP does NOT need another ex-NBA guy!!

As far as I know, GCU is the only for-profit school in the D1 ranks, and they've apparently got a ton of money to spend on athletics...

DoubleDipper wrote:

up7587 wrote:Speaking of GCU:

cbssports.com wrote:Dan Majerle won 20-plus games four seasons in a row before he was dismissed following a 13-17 campaign.

Hmm.

Don't get any crazy ideas, UP does NOT need another ex-NBA guy!!

As far as I know, GCU is the only for-profit school in the D1 ranks, and they've apparently got a ton of money to spend on athletics...

Agree to disagree because Thunder Dan's coaching resume dwarfs all Blazer-related UP coaches combined. Would take Coach M. in a heart beat...because (this is where I disagree with DHolcomb) a) they already have been through the experience D1 learning curve and b) if they got "bought out" it's less $$$ that UP needs to come up with. Important in this day and age.

Example: Mark Fox at Cal (ex-Nevada and Georgia) looked like a terrible uninspired hire. He got off to a late start recruiting and they were horrible early on. However over the course of the season Cal was on the upswing playing good fundamental ball. Of course a couple of additional guys will be clearing out but it looks like he has the connections (both domestically and foreign) to improve on the little to no talent he was left with. While it's early it looks like a great hire.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY Double Dip: What's the latest on the negotiations? While the virus lends its overarch to everything we still see other schools are moving...like Jimmy pointed out, Iona (a Catholic school by the way that clearly believes in the Christian value of forgiveness and redemption). Even though the world is at a standstill the UP men's coaching situation is not going to get better while sitting on it.

Happy Patty's day to you all.

DoubleDipper wrote:

up7587 wrote:Speaking of GCU:

cbssports.com wrote:Dan Majerle won 20-plus games four seasons in a row before he was dismissed following a 13-17 campaign.

Hmm.

Don't get any crazy ideas, UP does NOT need another ex-NBA guy!!

So you've shut the door on Erik Spoelstra if he was to ever want a change?

up7587 wrote:So you've shut the door on Erik Spoelstra if he was to ever want a change?

No, my reaction to another ex-NBA guy after a trio of ex-Blazers was an over reaction because, in my military mind, I keep thinking Scott will find another Mike Meek buried somewhere in D3 or at the end of the bench in D1.

I would welcome Majerle and Spoelstra as I think both can recruit and coach, and if they're looking for challenges...

Hello...

He's just down the road in NE Portland. Rodrick Rhodes at Concordia. Don't know him??? Look him up on the internet. The Dude can coach and has the background. My son just got done playing for him at CU this year as a freshman. Players loved him !!!

Rodrick Rhodes is your man !!!

Haha, I was not suggesting Spoelstra as a candidate, I was tweaking DD regarding his blanket statement of no NBA guys.

SpikeHoops wrote:Hello...

He's just down the road in NE Portland. Rodrick Rhodes at Concordia. Don't know him??? Look him up on the internet. The Dude can coach and has the background. My son just got done playing for him at CU this year as a freshman. Players loved him !!!

Rodrick Rhodes is your man !!!

Concordia had a record of 5-23. Great pick